Soldier Mountain Ski Area

In 1947, a visit to watch the Olympic Team Tryouts held at nearby Sun Valley prompted friends Bob Frostenson and Harry Durall to found Soldier Mountain Ski Area. That summer they raised $10,000, began work on a base lodge, and purchased two rope tows. They cut timber, installed lifts, and built lodges by hand.The first chairlift was installed in 1971 and the second was added in 1974. Soldier has 1,150 acres of variable alpine terrain including a terrain park, glades, bowls and tree skiing. Soldier Mountain also operates the only cat skiing operation in South-Central Idaho. In the late 1990s, actor Bruce Willis purchased the Ski Lift. In Spring 2012, Mr. Willis decided to donate it to the recently formed 501[c]3 Soldier Mountain Ski Area, Inc. Still a family-friendly mountain, Soldier Mountain has a complete ski school and prices to fit the most frugal of budgets – just $19 for youth and $35 for adults. Soldier Mountain is one of Idaho’s hidden gems, an easy-going, community-oriented resort located in the picturesque Sawtooth National Forest, halfway between Boise and Sun Valley.